VIOLENCE AND banditry is “rampant” in eastern Chad despite the presence of EU troops, a US-based humanitarian organisation has said.
Representatives from Refugees International (RI), an NGO based in Washington DC, spent last month in eastern Chad to research the current security situation.
More than 400 Irish troops have been deployed to the region as part of the EU force, known as Eufor. The mission has a UN mandate to protect civilians, including Darfuri refugees and displaced Chadians, living in camps near the border with Sudan.
In a report based on its research, RI said that despite the presence of Eufor troops, “rebel movements, intercommunal violence, cross-border attacks and banditry are rampant”.
Civilians and humanitarian workers are routinely attacked and ongoing insecurity is hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid, it noted.
“Unfortunately neither the mandate nor the configuration of the peacekeeping forces adequately addresses the generalised threat of banditry and impunity,” the report says.
“ is a modern force, configured and equipped to confront a military threat. However, while the Eufor troops can respond to incidents of criminality that happen in their presence, they can not conduct investigations or pursue arrests.”
Nevertheless, it notes that Eufor troops have worked hard to adapt existing resources to the realities they confront. “Frequent and increasingly far reaching patrols of major humanitarian routes and vulnerable areas have had some deterrent effect on bandits. Furthermore, the presence of Eufor soldiers seems to have set an example, resulting in more professional behaviour from the Chadian national army and gendarmerie.”
The report says that while Eufor “may not be ideally suited to address the generalised insecurity”, it has nonetheless “proved useful in particular instances, such as the recent rebel attack on the town of Goz Beida, when it deterred looters, monitored rebel activities and evacuated humanitarian staff”.
Refugees International recommends that any follow-on force deployed following Eufor’s withdrawal when its mandate ends in March next year should be “designed with the ability to respond quickly to severe security threats in remote areas”.
Earlier this month, Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea indicated that the Irish deployment with Eufor may last longer than the 12-month period initially envisaged. Describing the March deadline as “ambitious” Mr O’Dea said that if the deadline is not met, the present Eufor operation would “without doubt be continued in some shape or form” and Ireland would be asked to contribute.
A mid-mandate review of the mission, which will also identify follow-on options, is expected in September.